Thursdays at Abnormal Returns are all about startup and venture capital links. You can check out last week’s links including a look at the changing geography of the startup scene.
Quote of the Day
"Aggregators don’t simply get better at what they were already good at, they expand their purview into the broadest possible definition of their job."
(Ben Thompson)
Scooters
- Scooters are displacing bikes. (ft.com)
- Scooter companies need better scooters. (fastcompany.com)
- Lime wants to make scooters safer (and better). (businessinsider.com)
- Scooter companies don't want to pay for damage due to their machines. (indystar.com)
VC
- VC track records are a whole lot more than the numbers. (avc.com)
- Why most seed investors can't/won't lead a round. (pointsandfigures.com)
- As these things go Andreessen Horowitz and Coinbase are pretty tight. (recode.net)
- Goldman Sachs ($GS) has reportedly purchased a stake in General Catalyst. (wsj.com)
- Steve Cohen, of Point72 fame, wants to raise a standalone venture fund. (bloomberg.com)
Companies
- American Express ($AXP) Platinum card holders will soon have access to WeWork locations. (qz.com)
- Lyft is on track to beat Uber to an IPO. (nytimes.com)
- Sleep tracking firm, Oura, has attracted a celebrity-filled cap table. (techcrunch.com)
Trends
- Why are Millennials shunning the startup world? (theatlantic.com)
- This Alex Rampell talk on how software (and capital) is going to change the business of buying and selling homes is a must watch/listen. (a16z.com)
- Centralization vs. decentralization is the eternal story of technology. (avc.com)
Startups
- Chris Sacca, "The most successful founders are listeners, thinkers, and tinkerers. They are iterative, reflective, and rigorous. They passionately believe they are right but enjoy when their assertions or conclusions are shredded. The very best feel that yes is boring, and they thrive when wrestling with no." (chrissacca.com)
- Always take the call when a potential acquirer reaches out. (powderkeg.com)
- Some thoughts on litigation (expense). (avc.com)
- The buy/sell decision when in investing in a startup isn't always cut and dried. (pointsandfigures.com)
- Why you need to own your name. (seths.blog)
